Supplemental Info:
At present, this directive orders an immediate halt of the sale of Huawei and ZTE phones and their removal from military exchanges.
It is widely expected that this order will be extended in the coming weeks to include an overall ban on use of phones and other telecommunications equipment from Huawei and ZTE by U.S. service members, regardless of where they were acquired.
According to Pentagon spokesman Major Dave Eastburn:
"Huawei and ZTE devices may pose an unacceptable risk to Department's personnel, information and mission. In light of this information, it was not prudent for the Department's exchanges to continue selling them to DoD personnel."
Subscribers are reminded of the following:
1.) On Tuesday Feb 14, FBI Director Chris Wray, along with the directors of national intelligence, the CIA, and other intelligence and security chiefs, advised the Senate Intelligence Committee that Huawei and ZTE pose threats to the US and warned against purchasing Huawei phones.
According to FBI Director Chris Wray:
"We're deeply concerned about the risks of allowing a company or entity that is beholden to foreign governments that don't share our values to gain positions of power inside our telecommunications networks."
That position of power would allow Huawei or ZTE "the capacity to exert pressure or control over our telecommunications infrastructure, it provides the capacity to maliciously modify or steal information and provides the capacity to conduct undetected espionage."
Click the link below and watch for 3 min to see this particular portion of their testimony:
3.) While more than 75% of all mobile phone purchases in the U.S. are made through carriers (few of whom carry devices by these manufacturers), millions of devices from Huawei and ZTE are sold annually through websites such as Amazon, as well as retail outlets.
AlertsUSA subscribers would do well to heed the warnings and guidance issued by the defense and intelligence chiefs in the video above. |